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Brazil is the largest, most influential telecom services market in the Latin American region. But growth in the Brazil telecom services market is on a downswing – a development that will stir the competitive dynamics of the market in the coming years. Mergers and acquisitions are likely to gather pace as competitors seek to fortify their operations in the telecom services market in Brazil.

The review and assessment of the telecom services market spans the fixed and mobile telecommunications sectors in Brazil, complete with insight into the pay-TV market.

The most noticeable change in the Brazil telecom services market is a decline in revenues in 2014 as compared to 2013. The report observes that as a result of a weak Brazilian real, the total revenues in Brazil’s telecom services market stood at US$60.1 billion as of 2014. This marks a 3.1% fall in revenues as compared to the previous year. When assessed in terms of local currency values, Brazil’s telecom services market showed a 3.2% growth in 2014.

The financial results of mobile services operators in Brazil have been weighed down by an overall weakness in the country’s macroeconomic environment, which was further compounded by mobile termination rates (MTRs) being slashed by 25% as per a regulatory mandate in February 2014. Even as we enter 2015, mobile services operators in Brazil are still reeling under the impact of this change.

From 2014 through 2019, the overall service revenue will register growth at a CAGR of 1.8%. It’s not just pay-TV that will prove to be the cornerstone of growth in the Brazil telecom services market. Mobile data and broadband internet will also steer the telecom services market in Brazil forward.

Industry consolidation remains one of the greatest trends on the anvil in the Braziltelecom services market. Top-line growth is sagging, partly weighed down by higher operating expenses. In the short term, this will lead to 4-to-3 amalgamations in the mobile services domain.

The report also observes that as of 2014, the mobile penetration rate in the Brazil telecom services market stood at approximately 140%. This presents a remunerative opportunity for mobile services providers as sales of 3G and 4G handsets are on an uptick. The resultant boost in mobile data revenue will help mitigate the impact of ARPU from the slash in the MTRs.